Verizon adds tech most users will never notice – until they really need it

Phone Arena

08-05-2025

It is that time of year again when mobile carriers remind us how ready they are for disaster season. After AT&T doubled down on FirstNet and T-Mobile rolled out a series of upgrades to help with disaster recovery, Verizon is stepping in with its own big push to show how it plans to keep people connected when things go south.With more hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes hitting hard every year, Verizon says it is ready for the worst. Its network already covers 99% of where people live and work. But what really stands out is how it will stay up even when everything else goes down.
Every single Verizon macro cell site is backed by battery power and the company has more than 1,000 mobile generators on standby. It also has backup power at key facilities and multiple fiber routes to keep service live when disaster strikes. If you want to check how things are going in your area during a storm or emergency, Verizon makes it easy through the Check Network Status tool on its site or the My Verizon app.
Verizon says it's ready to bring its tech wherever it's most needed. | Image credit – Verizon Also, as disasters become more frequent, Verizon is getting creative. It teamed up with startup Hyfi to roll out flood sensors that use Verizon 's network to spread real-time flood warnings – helping communities stay ahead of rising waters.
Beyond the tech, Verizon says it literally runs toward the crisis when help is needed. Its crisis response fleet includes nearly 3,000 deployable assets like mobile cell towers, drone units for damage assessments and full-on basecamp setups. There is also a team of trained engineers and technicians on call year-round, plus a Global Event Management Center that keeps an eye on weather and other threats 24/7.
– Joe Russo, Executive Vice President, Global Networks and Technology, Verizon , May 2025 Verizon is also turning to satellite tech to help keep the signal going when traditional cell networks go down. If you've got a compatible device (iPhone 14 and later, Galaxy S25 series and Pixel 9 series), you will be able to send texts via satellite even when towers are out – keeping you connected with loved ones and first responders.
But what if you don't have one of those newer phones? That is where T-Mobile could help. Its satellite-to-mobile service kicks in automatically when regular cell service drops, allowing you to send texts no matter what provider you are on (yep, even if you are with Verizon , AT&T or others).
Plus, it covers a wider range of devices. In addition to the flagship phones mentioned above, T-Mobile 's Starlink service works with the Motorola Razr Plus (2024) and the latest Razr (2025) series, Galaxy S24 series (including the regular, Plus and Ultra model), Galaxy Z Flip 6, Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung Galaxy A36 and it's even expanding to support the iPhone 13 series soon.
Now, back to first responders, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team is on call 24/7 to deliver mission-critical communications support. This includes setting up mobile cell towers, Wi-Fi hotspots, charging stations and other tools – all at no cost to public safety agencies. More for public safety agencies, Verizon recently launched its Frontline Network Slice – a dedicated 5G Ultra Wideband slice built just for first responders. This puts Verizon in the same race as AT&T 's FirstNet, which recently added 20,000 square miles of new coverage and T-Mobile's T-Priority network for emergency services.
So yeah, the carriers all say they've got us covered no matter what. And most of the time, they actually deliver – though let's be honest, sometimes it takes a bit longer than it should.